


Ancient Music

by blehgah



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 20:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4320405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blehgah/pseuds/blehgah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shots and drabbles covering the span of the entire game with the intention of tying up any loose ends and expanding on concepts that were only vaguely described. It will also contain post-germination scenarios, but it won't cover anything from Dawn of the New World. Anything post-germination will probably take place in the two years before DotNW starts.</p><p>Mainly Zelloyd. Will eventually contain Sheena/Colette.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. lloyd - after zelos' betrayal

They should have been paying closer attention.

Lloyd still trusts Zelos, but it sinks through his guts, burning through layers of tissue and fibres. He trusts Zelos, he knows there must be a reason he turned his back on them, but the deception is hot to the touch and Lloyd still hasn't learned his lesson.

Lloyd still hasn't learned and he's not sure he'll ever be smart enough to learn. He's not sure he even wants to know.

Trusting others... it feels good. Making connections with others, helping them out, covering their backs and having his covered in returned-- things like that are what makes life colourful. It brings meaning to his actions. 

It had only been the night before when his chest thrummed bright and hot when Zelos relayed his true story to him. The present at his door, the Chosen's jewel tucked against his chest... that had meant something. It had been sincere. Zelos had been sincere.

Zelos had been sincere in one instance, but which should Lloyd believe in?

His heart tells him that the gem held close to his chest is the honest one, but everything else works against him.

Then again, that wouldn't make this the first time that's happened. Filled with hope, Lloyd touches the jewel pressed against his heart and nods his head. He can deal with Zelos once he takes care of Yggdrasill. Until then, he'll just have to trust Zelos to stay alive. 


	2. post; lloyd - dealing with wings

The first time he tries to fly, he ends up red in the face, head pounding, the blood in his veins and arteries trying to right itself after a few moments too long spent upside down.

Technically, it's his second time actually flying, but it's the first time he has to _try_.

A wide grin stretches Zelos' lips as his wings sprout from his back. They unfurl and catch the light of the afternoon sun, golden and glittering and grand, then he's shooting into the sky, arms extended. He scoops Lloyd up easily.

Despite the fact that Lloyd's wings are so much bigger than Zelos', he feels small in Zelos' grip, arms and legs dangling in the air.

"You have wings, too?" Lloyd asks, breathless.

"You're welcome," Zelos responds. Slowly, carefully, they're descending.

Really, Lloyd should be more thankful; his stomach settles back into his abdomen and his brains are beginning to return to their rightful place within the confines of his skull. If any of his companions were to rescue him, Lloyd thought it would have been Colette.

Although that may have landed them both in trouble, but it's nothing a few gels can't fix.

When they land, Zelos sets Lloyd on his feet. Lloyd clings onto Zelos' shirt as he fights for balance.

"You didn't answer my question," Lloyd says. He would shoot Zelos an admonishing look if he could; his eyesight is still a little shaky, however. Focusing his attention in one spot for too long only helps if the sun isn't pouring into his pupils.

"What does it look like?" Zelos replies. His hand is warm on the small of Lloyd's back, bright, weightless feathers brushing his fingers. "Talk to me when your head's on your shoulders."

Lloyd huffs, but he can't argue that at the moment. He presses the heels of his palms into both eyes and spreads his feet shoulder-width apart and just breathes for a few moments.

Zelos' hand lingers on Lloyd's back. His fingers brush the strap of his suspenders before he folds both hands behind his head.

The light of his wings illuminates his hair. It reflects off his cheekbones, the buttons of his gloves, the length of his eyelashes. He looks radiant. He looks proud.

The tension in his shoulders, in his elbows, tells a different story, however. His chest faces away from Lloyd, his eyebrows knotted minutely. Embarrassment, maybe.

"So: wings?" Lloyd tries again.

Zelos shrugs. It looks odd with the placement of his arms. "I used to be the Chosen. I worked with Cruxis at one point, too. Eventually, my exsphere evolved to the point where I started taking on angelic attributes."

A cold and heavy weight drops to the pit of Lloyd's stomach. "Not you, too!" He reaches for Zelos' shoulders, interrupting his 'cool pose'. "Does that mean...?"

Zelos lowers his arms and his gaze. His mouth curves in a wry smile as he gives Lloyd's elbows a gentle pat. "Nah. I'm fine. It didn't progress past that. I didn't need to... Not when Cruxis had Colette, you know?"

"Oh." Lloyd's hands linger on Zelos' shoulders before he drops them to his sides. "I guess. You knew about that, too?"

Zelos shrugs again. "Vaguely. If Colette had become Martel's vessel, I wouldn't have to be Chosen anymore. That's all I really cared about."

Lloyd chews the inside of his cheek as he processes the information.

However, his train of thought is interrupted as Zelos claps a hand to his back. He feels the sensation in his muscles first, but through his wings second; he'd forgotten that they're still out, blue feathers ethereal and barely tangible.

"Come on, let's try again. If something bad happens, we'll just call Raine." Zelos smiles at him. "Right?"

Returning the smile, Lloyd nods. "Yeah!"

* * *

"I'm starting to think bigger isn't better after all," Zelos says with a laugh, watching as Lloyd's body turns in the air. "Never thought you'd ever hear me say that, huh?"

Lloyd isn't in the position to respond. Having wings is kinda like having another set of arms, if he had to compare it to something. But these arms are way too long and they also carry all of his weight hundreds of feet in the air.

Zelos seems at ease, hands folded behind his head again.

"How did you learn to do this?" Lloyd huffs.

"Practice," Zelos replies with a wink, "Anyone can be good at anything with practice. Though that's not to say I'm not naturally gifted as well."

"Oh, shut it."

Zelos laughs again. He's gradually floating closer and closer; probably a safety measure.

Lloyd takes a moment to close his eyes and feel the air around him. It's nothing but empty space, though the wind gets stronger every now and then. The feathers on his wings pick up every small movement, but it doesn't translate all that well to Lloyd's senses. Thinking about it won't help, it never has, so he'll have to learn to rely on instinct.

When Lloyd opens his eyes again, he finds Zelos directly under him. Zelos' brow is furrowed, his blue eyes trained on Lloyd's face.

"You were starting to fall," Zelos explains. The low tones of his voice vibrate over Lloyd's skin, carried by the wind. "You okay?"

"Just trying stuff out," Lloyd murmurs in reply. He shakes his wings out and Zelos scrambles to grab Lloyd by the middle.

"Whoa!" Zelos' grip is tight around Lloyd's waist. "Geez-- Fine. Don't-- you startled me, god."

Lloyd's laugh travels down Zelos' arms. "Did I scare you?"

When Zelos squeezes, it's almost enough to hurt. "No. You can't scare me, the Great Zelos!"

Zelos lets go, golden wings fluttering as he gives Lloyd some space. It's colder without him there, but Lloyd also blames it on the wind. His hands hover in the air where Zelos used to be, absently wondering if his warmth lingered. Unfortunately, it did not.

"Do you want to call it a day?" Zelos asks.

Lloyd shakes his head. Not while he's still got energy.

"Guess you don't have anything better to do," Zelos continues, moving to stretch out on his back. His feet dangle, the reach of his wings unable to support them from his new position.

Watching Zelos is mesmerizing. Plus, it gives Lloyd an example to work with, and he supposes he ought to be more grateful.

* * *

When they land, Zelos plays with the ends of one of Lloyd's wings.

"You know, I bet there'll be someone who wants these," he says, "Someone who'll want your special wings and make them into something bigger."

"What do you mean?"

Zelos' touch through the shimmering feathers is gentle, delicate. "You know. Someone who'll find out what angel powers can do. Someone who'll want to exploit that power."

Lloyd frowns. "Well, that's why we're getting rid of the rest of the expheres, Zelos. To make sure that never happens."

With a sigh, Zelos drops his hand. "Right. I guess... I guess I'm just worried that we won't get all of them in time. That some power-hungry bastard is hoarding some on some--" A dry laugh interrupts his speech. "Some remote island out there, with his own ranch and everything."

Lloyd doesn't respond for a few breaths. "I guess you're right," he concedes, "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

"Yeah." Zelos nods. "'Course." He adopts a grin, one of his more common expressions, one that doesn't quite reach his eyes, and claps a hand to Lloyd's back. "Good work out there, Bud! Let me know if you want any more tips."

All Lloyd can do is return that smile, rubbing the spot on his back. "For sure. Thanks for helping me out, Zelos."

The grin on Zelos' face softens. "Anytime."


	3. lloyd - admiring zelos

The first time Lloyd lays eyes on the Chosen, the first thing that pierces his mind is the fact that he has such long, vibrant hair. It has an extravagant feel, like the man must spend a lot of time grooming it and making it shine so brightly. The Chosen of Tethe'alla has an air of elegance, yet appears so casual and easy going.

But when he opens his mouth, it's much easier for Lloyd to decide what he thinks of him. It's obvious the guy only reacts to how people _look_ , and Lloyd doubts he's too exciting to look at. Hopefully their interaction will be minimal.

* * *

Lloyd's opinion of Zelos falls apart when he sees Zelos in battle.

Zelos is _beautiful._ There's grace that he carries with every slash, with every thrust, with every parry; there's agility and dexterity in his movement executed in a gorgeous flow of his body across the battlefield; he's shades of red and pink paint across the canvas of Lloyd's gaze and Lloyd can barely contain himself.

He wants to watch Zelos' every movement, and for a few reckless seconds, he does. But then a claw in his shoulder demands his attention, and the moment is ruined.

Although Lloyd can't watch Zelos, the image stays with him, printed onto the back of his eyes.

* * *

"Gah! There's no casinos, no bars, and not even girls!"

For a second, Lloyd is confused. There are four girls currently in their party. But then it really hits Lloyd and he's reminded that Zelos is supposed to be a pleasure-seeking skirt-chaser. Apparently.

Sometimes Lloyd doesn't always buy it. It's been more and more difficult to believe it as of late.

"What?" Lloyd nudges Zelos with his shoulder, catching Zelos' attention. "The village I grew up in didn't have casinos or bars, but I still had a lot of fun."

Zelos' mouth twists in a wry smile. "You back country hick. Do you really think that kind of a healthy lifestyle suits me?"

Sometimes Zelos is all bite and no bark. His eyes are on Lloyd's face, calm and casual, though there's something intense about the way his gaze fails to waver.

"But you don't fool around as much as you claim you do," Lloyd points out.

When Zelos' face flickers through expressions, Lloyd's brow furrows.

"Excuse me?"

It should be obvious, but again, sometimes Zelos is all bite and no bark. Surely Zelos understands what Lloyd said; he's just playing dumb for no good reason. "Well, if you really hated being on a journey and wanted to quit, you'd have done so already."

Zelos' responds with silence. For an instant, his eyes are wide, but the expression fades as Zelos clicks his tongue and glances away.

"Why did you get all quiet?" Lloyd asks. His voice is clear and his question is straightforward. Despite this, Zelos' mouth curls; a withdrawn expression that doesn't belong on his porcelain countenance.

"You're pretty sharp sometimes." Zelos jerks a thumb over his shoulder. "I guess I should head back."

Lloyd's snaps to attention. "What?! Are you serious?"

He can't be. He's not even moving.

With a short sigh, Zelos waves a dismissive hand. "No, of course not. I've got reasons of my own to stay with you guys."

Something warm rolls in Lloyd's stomach. Zelos' eyes shine and Lloyd doesn't understand, not entirely.

"Oh, I see." Lloyd ignores the feeling and grins, plowing on. "But it'd be lonely if someone left, even if it was you."

Zelos gives a low and dry chuckle. "Okay, now I'm really reconsidering my decision."

Lloyd stares at Zelos for a long while. Zelos takes it and smirks the entire time. It's infuriating, so infuriating, because Lloyd doesn't understand even though he wants to. There's something hiding under Zelos' cool exterior, something buried under layers of inappropriate comments and reckless words. Lloyd wants to know, _needs_ to know; the last time he let something like that slip, he almost paid the price.

And even then, he still doesn't know everything he needs to know when it comes to her, but he can't push, not this time.

It still hurts. It still hurts, not having her trust, not having Zelos' trust. But hopefully Lloyd's trust will be enough for all of them.

* * *

Lloyd's trust isn't worth anything, it seems.

* * *

When Lloyd sees Zelos again, rage sparks in his throat and in his fists. It vibrates violently and he's struck in place, frozen, electricity running through his every nerve.

That. Bastard.

But at the same time, Lloyd feels relief flood his senses; cooling water against the hot and sensitive nerves, frayed wires patched up with tape. Colette will be fine. Everyone will be fine.

Even Zelos.

As long as Lloyd can keep his hands to himself for long enough.

"What? I thought you wanted me to set you free from your fate as a Chosen!" Mithos shouts. It's still strange to see him standing where Yggdrasill should be.

Zelos turns on his heel, his brilliant hair flowing behind him. "Oh," he says, and the laughter on his tongue grows heavy in Lloyd's stomach, "You know what? I changed my mind. That won't matter once we beat the crap out of you, anyway."

"Zelos!" Lloyd can't help himself. Zelos' name rolls off his tongue so easily, so naturally, and the adrenaline in his blood ignites his relief like gasoline. "I knew you'd come back to us!"

Lloyd knew. Lloyd knew. There had been a moment of doubt, but despite that cold, prickling doubt, Lloyd still knew.

"Sorry about all that," Zelos replies with a crooked smile. Lloyd can't decide if he wants to punch it off, or... "It was the only way I could get my hands on this."

When Zelos tosses something in Lloyd's direction, Lloyd catches it out of pure instinct; he's hardly paying attention to his surroundings. When Zelos moves, Lloyd reacts, and at least the familiarity of that truth pokes holes in his guts.

"Refine that with dwarven arts, and it'll let even a human use the eternal sword."

Whatever it is that's sitting in Lloyd's hands shines with potential. The power within it almost distracts Lloyd from what Zelos says. Almost.

Lloyd's head snaps up. "You... Are you saying you did all that just to get this?"

If he can use the eternal sword, he can...

But... How did Zelos know? What exactly did he do to retrieve this? Did he know that Colette would reject Martel? Would they have been able to save her if he didn't?

So many questions bubble in Lloyd's head, but they're interrupted when Sheena speaks.

"That's right. This stupid Chosen released us from those traps back there," she states. There's warmth in her voice, but Lloyd doesn't dare look away from Zelos now that he's here, standing before them as the truth is bared.

The crooked smile on Zelos' face twists into something that hardly resembles a smile. "But... It is true that I deceived you. I've held you guys back for a long time."

Something hot clatters in Lloyd's throat and tumbles into his stomach. It clashes against cool relief and melts into something new and strange.

"I figured I'd have to do something like that to make up for it."

The foreign feeling in Lloyd's gut jumps back to his tongue and he's shouting again, angry and betrayed and glad, so damn glad. "If you wanna make it up to me, hurry up and fight!"

 _Us_. Make it up to _us_. Lloyd means _us_.

A smile spreads across Zelos' smile as if he knows. Zelos knows _exactly_ what Lloyd means and he replies with a steady voice, "You got it."

Easy, so easy, so damn natural.

Lloyd's excited to fight with Zelos again. He's excited to dance with him across the battlefield, to witness his dexterity and beauty and grace. He's excited to have Zelos with him again, hopefully for good.

Zelos has his back and this time, this time Lloyd knows it's for good.

* * *

Lloyd's fingers close around Zelos' Cruxis Crystal. It withstood the arrow and protected him. Zelos protected him. Zelos knew. Zelos knew so much, and yet he didn't tell Lloyd.

Regardless, Lloyd still trusts him.

His trust extends to Zelos unconditionally. Whatever Zelos has done to him, to their group, is in the past now; there's nothing he can do about it, and if Zelos wants to continue with them on their journey, that's enough for Lloyd.

Lloyd's just happy he's back.

The Cruxis Crystal absorbs Lloyd's warmth. Lloyd drums his fingertips against it.

_This is a symbol of my trust._

Whatever went on in Zelos' head, Lloyd will never know, _can_ never know. But Zelos, despite his struggle with his status as Chosen and the cracks it left on his heart, learned to trust Lloyd. That thought alone is enough to fill Lloyd with bouncing electricity from head to toe.

He's never felt anything like this before. Once, he felt something close, but it wasn't quite the same. That feeling was naive, innocent, pining; it was weakness from the start and that's why Lloyd abandoned it in the end.

But this-- this is strong. This is hot and cold and it sparks at the touch. This is overwhelming and not enough at the same time.

Lloyd wants more. His fist clenches over the Cruxis Crystal.

Lloyd wants more, and he's afraid and excited all at once. But when he looks down at the Cruxis Crystal, _this is a symbol of my trust_ , some of that fear flees and he's renewed.

Lloyd wants more and he'll ask for it. He'll risk it, just as Zelos did.

_This is a symbol of my trust._


End file.
